Vegetarian Food Adventures in Sonoma County

In West County, the 1860s, the riverside town of Guerneville was known as the Big Bottom, because it rests upon an alluvial flood plain. In later years, it came to be called Stumptown, in reference to its abundant redwood logging. Today, it’s evolving into a hip dining and shopping destination that’s still hideaway-enough so it feels like a secret discovery.

Guerneville is home to just 4,534 souls, mostly arts, food, wine, and nature types. The half-mile long downtown boasts an eclectic mix of dark but convivial bars, so-tacky-they’re-fun souvenir shops, and more recently, notable restaurants and wine tasting salons.

Start your day with breakfast at Big Bottom Market, a marvy, modern day general store from owner/style guru Michael Volpatt and local chef legend Crista Luedtke. Sit back amid a delicious mix of gourmet grocery, upscale deli complete with curated wines, and cherished community hangout for local musicians and artists, while watching passersby on the street through the giant front windows.

The signature biscuits are a must, dense yet flaky and demanding to be smothered in rich creamery butter and jam. The Veggie Sando breakfast is another mouthwatering choice, layered with hard-boiled egg, garden-fresh spinach, crispy grilled peppers and onions, havarti, and homemade pesto and garlic aioli on a crunchy toasted ciabatta. Whatever you order, splurge with an early morning mimosa, made with organic orange juice and local sparking wine.

Next, work off that mimosa with a hike through Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. This 805-acre forest sprawls in groves of 500- to 2,000-year-old trees towering to 350 feet and often shrouded in mystical fog. Pioneer Nature Trail is an easy mosey, over a mostly flat, mile-and-a-half long round trip path. And right next door, spectacular natural wonders span the 5,683-acre Austin Creek State Recreation Area.

One of West County’s most marvelous, off-the-radar wineries awaits just a few minutes away over the Russian River Bridge, at Porter-Bass Winery. Here, winemaker Luke Bass bottles and corks all 1,000 cases of his excellent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel by hand, working out of a groovy wine cave dug into a hillside. In good weather, tastings are held under a walnut tree next to the vines, with the wines displayed on a wood plank balanced on two wine barrels.

Drive less than 10 minutes back to downtown for lunch on the outdoor patio at Garden Grill, a vegetarian-friendly, cozy, hole-in-the-wall eatery that emphasizes tasty food, friendly staff, and quick service. Highlights include the Breakfast Vegetarian Grinder Sandwich (scrambled eggs topped with grilled onion, sweet red pepper, and spinach on a ciabatta bun) which is served all day; the Grilled Portabella Mushroom Grinder topped with melted Swiss cheese, roasted red pepper, spinach, tomato, red onion, and garlic aioli sauce; the Garden Veggie Burger; and the Black Bean Chipotle Veggie Burger. 

It wouldn’t be right to visit this laid-back river town without lazing on the river, and Johnson’s Beach offers the best access, tucked just beneath Guerneville’s entryway bridge. You can lounge on the spotlessly clean river sandbar on rentable beach chairs beneath umbrellas, or on the gently flowing water, with by-the-hour canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats that take you on a leisurely ride past river homes and forests.

The beach puts you just steps away from Sonoma Nesting Company – okay, everything in Guerneville is just steps away – but this is a great excuse to stop in and meet shop owners Dax Berg and “Smitty.” Browse their delightful vintage shop stocked with offbeat treasures like reinvented furniture (Smitty is a painter), collectable clutter, and garden art. 

Dinner beckons not far away at boon eat + drink, owned by chef-entrepreneur Crista Luedtke. The cool, casual concept showcases organic ingredients, home grown vegetables and herbs, and a Cal-Ital menu that’s knock-your-socks off delicious. The brief (and changeable) menu offers a full section of green plates, like a sweet-peppery salad of arugula, cress, red flame grapes, Redwood Hill goat cheese, and Marcona almonds in sherry vinaigrette, or a beautiful bowl of flash fried brussels sprouts doctored with chili flakes, fresh squeezed lemon, garlic, and olive oil. For an entrée, the polenta lasagna is a lavish feast, layered with spicy seasonal veggies, ricotta salata and spicy marinara served over a bed of sautéed garlicky greens.

Now, it’s time to check in for the night. How about boon hotel + spa, also owned by chef-entrepreneur Crista Luedtke. This tiny retreat commands just 14 rooms in old miner’s cabins tucked against the redwoods on Armstrong park’s entry road, plus luxury tent cabines for summertime glamping and a year-round vintage “lovebug” camper, all with upscale amenities. 

Other great accommodation options in Guerneville include Mine + Farm, Dawn Ranch Resort, and Fern Grove Cottages.

If you prefer to be closer to mother nature, check our listings of Sonoma County Campgrounds & RV Parks and click on Rivers & Redwoods. 

After a restful night, drive to charming Sebastopol. This dynamic community offers a small-town vibe blended with an international consciousness, creating a sophisticated rural atmosphere.

This is an important food and wine region, with dozens of small farms and boutique wineries. On Sundays year-round, the Sebastopol Farmers Market (in the downtown plaza) draws shoppers from all across Sonoma County. Here some of region’s best growers offer the finest produce of the season, from juicy summer peaches to crisp, winter kale, and there are also artisan breads, cheeses, and an array of vegetarian picnic meals like wood-oven Margherita pizza.

Start the day with breakfast at East West Café. Since 1989, this friendly, family-owned Mediterranean spot has lured food lovers in for its generous portions of honest, satisfying veggie and vegan options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu goes on for several pages, and all is good, but regulars swear by the Organic Macro Plate of braised tofu or grilled tempeh with vegetables, arame seaweed, black beans, brown rice, hummus, and tahini; the Thai tofu stir fry in spicy Thai peanut sauce; and the veggie Benedict, bringing a toasted English muffin topped with avocado, tomato, sautéed shiitake mushrooms, poached eggs, and homemade hollandaise alongside country potatoes and salsa.  

Next, discover what all the buzz is about at The Barlow, a thriving culinary and arts center featuring more than two dozen shopping boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and tasting rooms in a former apple factory site. More than just a shopping center, Barlow customers enjoy products directly from the people who make them, and where the products are made. That means Spirit Works Distillery mills, mashes, ferments, distills, and bottles its own small-batch gin, sloe gin, and whiskey onsite.

If you want a bite to eat, you’ll find all sorts of Vegan and raw food options in the to-go case at The Nectary, the first juice and smoothie apothecary bar of its kind. It serves a unique assortment of 100 percent organic fresh cold-pressed juices; superfood and green smoothies; and probiotic beverages such as fruit-and-herbal-infused Kefir, Jun, and Kombucha. 

The owners of Slice of Life in downtown Sebastopol have been crafting vegetarian American, Italian, and Mexican cuisine since 1974. That means recipes contain no animal products except dairy cheeses, and many dishes are fat-free, low-fat, dairy-free, and lactose-free.

Or, located in a lavishly restored historic Queen Anne Victorian, Muir’s Tea Room is inspired by legendary Scottish born conservationist and tea lover, John Muir. Muir’s combines the beauty of nature with whimsical decor, a stunning cottage garden and delicious, plant-based savories and desserts.

Sebastopol boasts world-class wineries, like Merry Edwards Winery, renowned for its Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. After sipping there, visit Furthermore Wines for amazing single vineyard Pinot Noir and a game of bocce. You would also do well to sample the blanc de blancs at nearby Iron Horse Vineyards – the sparkling wine is considered some of the best in the nation.

When it’s time for dinner, head to Santa Rosa for more vegan delights. BBQ drumsticks, Impossible burger, and Sicilian Pesto Tenderloin Sandwich–these may not sound vegan, but they are exactly the vegan dishes you’ll find at Cozy Plum Bistro. Cozy Plum makes many dishes that plant-based foodies may wish were vegan, but that aren’t typically on vegan menus. This includes burgers, breakfast sandwiches, artisan cheese, and even seafood. 

In downtown Santa Rosa, 4th Street Social Club welcomes guests with dishes like the irresistible jackfruit sliders made with jalapeno and crushed pineapple on a pretzel bun or their version of a Philly cheesesteak. Diners can enjoy each dish on the menu as a vegan or vegetarian option, while meat-based offerings are also available. Pair it all with multi-flavored signature micheladas and creative cocktails.

If you’d like to spend another night, Hotel E is a brand new, four-star boutique hotel, and is ideally situated in the iconic beaux-arts building on the recently reunified Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa.